Page 32 of A Sky of Storms
“I don’t know, anything out of the normal?”
He smirked. “What’s your definition of normal?”
I shook my head. It was too late in the night to be dealing with Kayden’s idea of fun. I shouldn’t have thought he’d answer my questions properly. Guess I deserved that. “Never mind.”
“You should join me—my team,” he called after me. I turned halfway up the stairs, looking down at him. “You have skills that I could use and, in return, I’ll protect you from dying too early.”
Too early. I rolled my eyes and huffed a laugh. “What a kind offer. Unfortunately, I must decline.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe, but I guess I’ll have to live with it.”
I barely had enough time to eat and sleep, let alone be someone’s lackey. Not that I would ever be bossed around like that. I may have been quiet, but my life belonged to me, not for someone else to wield as they saw fit. I wasn’t here because anyone else wanted me to be. Not my family, a boss, a friend, or even the pressure of societal expectations. Nothing made me participate in the trials against my will. I was raised to set my own path and right now it was leading me to find out what was happening to the people of the Verdant Plateau.
Kayden would have to try his luck with someone else to strengthen his position in the trials because he had no chance of recruiting me.
“Hey!”
I froze at the top of the stairs but didn’t look his way. “Yeah?”
“You didn’t hear me before? When you first came in, I mean.” Kayden’s voice had lost its strength. If anything, he almost sounded worried.
“Nah,” I lied. I wasn’t interested in getting involved in anyone else’s drama.
I continued up the stairs to the second floor where my room was located, silently opening the door and making my way over to my bed. It was beneath some guy who liked to mumble in his sleep about video games. I didn’t mind playing the odd game, but back home I liked to spend my spare time playing guitar or reading a good book. Both didn’t require me leaving the house, which I loved, because after socialising with my family I liked to recharge by being alone. The only other thing that got me out the house was being in nature and going for a hike.
I quickly got ready for bed, yawning louder than I expected before sliding between my sheets.
“Get on top of him. Push a bit harder forward,” the guy muttered.
I cocked my head. Maybe his dreams were drifting to a different topic tonight?
“Shoot, shoot. What a noob.”
Nope. Still the video games. Shit, gamer talk could sound so suggestive when hearing it out of context. With another yawn, I stretched my arms before closing my eyes. Tonight had been full of information, but I was still in the dark. Time was ticking and I just hoped I wasn’t too late.
Sunlightstreamedthroughthewindow to touch my face. I grumbled, burrowing deeper beneath the covers to hide away from the world. Yawning, I stretched my arms and legs and winced at the aching muscles all over.
I’d survived the first week which felt like it was inspired by hell and we hadn’t even reached the first trial yet. Who knew what horrors awaited? The first was a trial of the body, which meant we’d have no magic to rely on—just our strength and our wits.
Given the injuries I was already sporting, I didn’t like my chances, especially when I was quickly gathering more enemies each day. Apart from Zane and Kendra, I was a walking target to just about everyone here. In the last few days, I’d been beaten and bruised bloody, and humiliated twice now by both Victoria and Kayden.
My skin heated as I thought of them. There were videos all over Acadameet of Kayden spilling Dick’s god damned cereal all over my head and the fight between me and Victoria with her twit friends. I sighed. At least some students were on my side. Many had commented saying it wasn’t a fair fight and that Victoria wasn’t strong enough to fight fairly on her own. I smiled smugly at that thought. It would have infuriated her to no end to realise not everyone wanted to grovel at her feet.
Deciding to go for a fly to stretch my wings and clear my head, I threw off the covers, rolled over, and yelped.
Green eyes stared at me an inch from my face and I scrambled back in fright. “Fucking hell, Zane,” I panted. “You gave me a heart attack. What are you doing?”
“I thought you might want some cuddles.” He smiled, his eyes lingering on the tight tank top I was wearing. “You were having bad dreams.”
“Eyes up here, Merman.” I grinned. “Are you sure you don’t want to cuddle Mark? He looks like he needs some emotional support.”
I looked pointedly at the finger Mark had jammed in his mouth and Zane laughed like a freaking dolphin. “Nah, guy’s got mummy issues. I’d rather cosy up in your coral reef.”
“You are so strange,” I said, laughing. “Unfortunately for you, this angel fish is going for a fly.”
I blinked. Oh gods, I was speaking like him now.
